No-derivatives mark (ND)

An equals sign in a circle forbidding modified versions being shared.

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Meanings

The ND mark permits the work to be shared but not adapted versions of it. Changes may still be made privately; what the condition restricts is distributing the result.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Permits the work to be copied and redistributed, but not the distribution of adapted material built upon it.
Common modern usageVerified fact
Adapting the work privately is not restricted; the condition applies to sharing the adapted version.

Visual description

A circle outline containing two short horizontal strokes of equal length stacked one above the other.

Symmetry: horizontal
Orientation: upright

Commonly confused with: Equals sign
The mathematical equals sign asserts equality; enclosed in a circle on a licensed work it means no derivative versions may be distributed.
Opposite of: Share-alike mark (SA)
Both are built from circles.
Part of the same system as: Creative Commons logo
Both are built from circles.

Compare: No-derivatives mark vs equals sign →

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
Creative Commons · retrieved 2026-08-01
The issuing body's own published deed. Authoritative for what the licence permits and requires, and for the mark that denotes it. It is not legal advice, and it says nothing about whether a given work is validly licensed — only what the licence means if it is.

Last reviewed 2026-08-01

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Licensing and rights marks

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Meanings

The ND mark permits the work to be shared but not adapted versions of it. Changes may still be made privately; what the condition restricts is distributing the result.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Permits the work to be copied and redistributed, but not the distribution of adapted material built upon it.

Common modern usageVerified fact

Adapting the work privately is not restricted; the condition applies to sharing the adapted version.

Related & commonly confused symbols

Commonly confused with: Equals sign
The mathematical equals sign asserts equality; enclosed in a circle on a licensed work it means no derivative versions may be distributed.
Opposite of: Share-alike mark (SA)
Both are built from circles.
Part of the same system as: Creative Commons logo
Both are built from circles.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
Creative Commons · retrieved 2026-08-01
The issuing body's own published deed. Authoritative for what the licence permits and requires, and for the mark that denotes it. It is not legal advice, and it says nothing about whether a given work is validly licensed — only what the licence means if it is.

Last reviewed 2026-08-01